Red tourism boosts local economy in Jinggangshan City, China

By Nandalal Tiwari, Jingganshan City, China, Aug. 23: With 48 per cent contribution to the gross domestic product (GDP) of Jinggangshan city, a county level political-administrative unit in Jiangxi province of China, red tourism has boosted overall economy of the historical area.

Known as the first base area of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China during the revolutionary period in 1927, Jingangshan has many tourism products such as the preserved house used by Chairman Mao Zedong and Marshal Zhu De from 1927 to 1930, the mountain area where the PLA had defeated the government (Kuomintang) troops for the first time and the Jingangshan revolution museum.

“Of the GDP of 6.28 billion RMB in 2016 of this City, contribution of tourism was 48 per cent,” said Liu Pinghong, deputy mayor of the Jinggangshan City, talking with a group of journalists from South Asian and South East Asian countries at the Ciping town of the City.

She informed that the City received over 1 million visitors last year. The total population of the City is 1.36 million.

House where Chairman Mao had headquartered.

“We have over 100 revolutionary relics and sites in the forest area as the first revolutionary base was established here in 1927. Therefore, this City is known as the cradle of Chinese revolution. Moreover, with 86 per cent forest area, it is an eco-friendly city. We are also the only evergreen forest in the tropical area in the world as recognized by the UN,” she said.

With the people’s growing interest in Chinese history, the number of domestic as well as foreign tourists visiting the place has also increased. “Tourist arrival in the City increased by 30 per cent last year.”

Stating that tourism was the leading sector in the City, deputy mayor Liu informed that different tourism sites were to be developed in the whole of mountain areas and that some 20 tourism projects were to be implemented for developing every area as a scenic spot.

She said that the local government had accorded top priority to preserve environment and that there were only the pollution free industries.

The deputy mayor said that tourism had greatly helped in alleviating poverty in the City as the local government was able to mobilise resources for roads, people’s access to better education and health facilities, income generation of the people as well as relocation of the settlement.

In addition to many other attractions in this area, a visitor can get a grasp of the initial phase of the Chinese revolution by visiting Huang Yang Jie, the mountain area where the first battle between the PLA and the Kuomingtan forces had occurred, Da Jing, the village where Chairman Mao and Marshal Zhu De had headquartered for over two years since 1927 and a wooden hospital at Xio Jing used for treatment of the PLA during that period. To keep the revolutionary spirit of the area alive and enjoy the visitors, a group of local artists sing patriotic songs at the center of Ciping town in the evening. (Photo: local artists at Ciping town singing patriotic, revolutionary song, Jinggangshan City, Jiangxi, China)